Luke Humphries has voiced concerns that his much-anticipated rivalry with Luke Littler is losing some of its prestigue due to the sheer frequency of their encounters.
The world No 2 believes their 28 head-to-head meetings over the past two years, combined with regular Premier League fixtures, are taking the shine off what should be blockbuster clashes.
The pair consistently find themselves facing each other in the latter stages of competitions, a consequence of their dominance at the top of the sport.
Speaking ahead of Thursday’s Premier League night three in Glasgow, Humphries reflected on his narrow 6-5 loss to Littler in Antwerp last week, where he squandered three match darts.
Humphries explained that the Premier League format particularly diminishes the impact of their battles.
“When we play in the Premier League, people don’t really care as much,” he said.
“But when we play in a major final like the Matchplay, then it is more exciting because they are big tournaments. It is not just for a league or a nightly win.”
Luke Humphries has voiced concerns that his much-anticipated rivalry with Luke Littler is losing some of its prestigue due to the sheer frequency of their encounters
|
PA
The Cheshire-based player acknowledged the situation is simply a product of both men performing at the highest level.
“Most of the time it is due to the fact that we have been meeting in the later rounds because we are the best players,” Humphries added.
The darts star pointed to tennis as evidence that this phenomenon extends beyond darts, citing the frequent meetings between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz as a comparable example.
Five facts darts fans might not know | PA/GBNEWS
Sinner and Alcaraz have dominated their sport in recent years, leaving rivals such as Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic behind.
Humphries attributed the situation partly to an expanded competitive calendar.
“In the old days there were 10 or 12 tournaments, really. Now we play so much with the ProTour, Europeans, Premier League and majors,” he noted.
The world No 2 accepted that such regular encounters between top players are now unavoidable given the modern structure of the sport.
“It is going to happen to everybody. It is just the way it is with the format. Maybe it will change in the future,” Humphries said.
Despite the perceived dilution of their rivalry, the statistics underscore just how evenly matched the two players remain at the highest level.
Luke Littler and Luke Littler are the best two darts players in the world
|
PASince 2024, Humphries and Littler have met in seven major finals, with Littler holding a slender advantage having won four to his rival’s three.
Curiously, the form of Humphries in the Premier League tells a contradictory story.
The 31-year-old currently occupies sixth place in the table, yet he boasts the competition’s highest running average at an impressive 101.31.
That discrepancy suggests his performances have not always translated into results when it matters most.
